October 2009
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Actor
Anna Friel
Simon Holmes/Retna Pictures
I live in a gorgeous part of LA up in the hills. It’s like a retreat, where you wake up to beautiful sunshine every day. My garden is full of different plants. I can wander into it and pick a lemon right off the tree or an orange to squeeze in the morning.
Deià in Majorca is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever go to. I bought a 300-year-old house there, which I’ve done up as a holiday home. The town feels medieval and has the best moonlight in the whole of Europe. I find it a very spiritual place with a great mix of people.
When I was young we just used to get in the car and go on an adventure somewhere. We’d end up mostly in France, staying in a gîte for a month at a time. My dad taught French so wanted us to be around the language. I adore Menton right down in the south. There are wonderful restaurants and a fabulous beach for children and Monte Carlo is just a short drive away.
My favourite holiday was in Brazil. I went to a tiny peninsula where you feel like you’re on your own island. It was so safe and there was lots of dancing and incredible food. The people are possibly the nicest I’ve ever met anywhere. The name of the place is my secret though. As you leave the island, they say, ‘Only tell people that you love about us because we want to keep it special.’
I always visit antique warehouses and vintage shops when abroad. I’m a big collector of Arts and Craft furniture. I especially like Vaseline glass, which was only made between 1890 and 1910. I’ve found a lot of it in Prague.
Always ask locals where to eat. The most expensive restaurants aren’t always the best. I like to find backstreet places that may not look as glitzy but have local charm. I love the food in Florence. The homemade pasta with sauces made from the wonderfully flavoured tomatoes is just delicious.
Watch Anna Friel in Land of the Lost showing onboard this month on selected flights.